I need to get some of those airlock tops for Mason jars... Mind if I ask where you got yours? All the ones I've seen have been ridiculously priced!

My first attempt at sauerkraut turned out pretty good (just kept it in a bucket with a weighted plate keeping it all under water) so I went for the gusto & did up 30-some in jars with the lids on really loose so they could breathe.... and they turned to MUSH. Soggy, salty, MUSH.... We threw them all out.

What do you put in with the cabbage? Instructions I was using just said to use salt & boiling water....

Amazon has air locks. My ancestors have been doing sauerkraut for about a 1000 years. There's no magic. Just cabbage and salt. That gallon of kraut has about three tablespoons of coarse kosher salt. I used to use a 5 gallon bucket with a maple board and clean rock to hold it down. The gallon jug is more practical for my use. Its better to make a batch, then can it or put it up in jars. The failed batch probably got air and contaminants in it. You have to be careful. Not one piece or sliver of cabbage can be above the brine in the jar or container. Other than cleaning the stuff before use, I don't know what boiling water would be used for. I use clean, distilled water if at all. I had to add one bottle of water(room temperature) to the jar to bring the brine level up to the top.
If you add red cabbage to the mix, you get pink kraut...

I need to get some of those airlock tops for Mason jars... Mind if I ask where you got yours? All the ones I've seen have been ridiculously priced!

My first attempt at sauerkraut turned out pretty good (just kept it in a bucket with a weighted plate keeping it all under water) so I went for the gusto & did up 30-some in jars with the lids on really loose so they could breathe.... and they turned to MUSH. Soggy, salty, MUSH.... We threw them all out.

What do you put in with the cabbage? Instructions I was using just said to use salt & boiling water....

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My mother in law boils her jars and lids adds cabbage don't pack to tight as it will expand as it works, fill about an inch 1/2 from the top add 1 tablespoon pickling salt, fill with distilled or (we use spring water) fill jar with water until it just covers the cabbage leave some room, put on lids tight, store in a cool dry place for a couple weeks. we usually put something under them because sometimes they over flow. Also she plants and cans by the signs and the best time for kraut is when the sign is in the breast, the kraut will be snow white!

JR is correct breast is the best . When sign is correct, I chop cabbage, add 1 Tbl salt in clean quart ball mason jars, add cabbage, lid loose enough it can burp and I store mine in crawl space under home in a old igloo cooler for 6-8 weeks. remove jars early one morning ( when its cool out) and tighten lid. good to go.
But I will look for the air locks, I want to try to make kimjee(?) anybody tried to make this?

Doing a batch today. I use a crock from Ohio Stoneware. Comes with weights and a lid. Remove outer leaves ( save to cover shredded cabbage )shred the cabbage add 2% salt by weight let sit for a couple days to liquify and if I need more liquid I add 2% salt water to cover. Takes a week or two depending on how sour you like it. Just keep tasting it til you like it. Then we seal it and refrigerate it. Pretty much stops the fermentation. Everything needs to stay under the brine. Any slime on top or mold needs to be skimmed off. I also started 2 Corned beef this week and should be done for St Pattys day.

Wish me luck. Just tried starting another batch.... Haven't made it to Liquor Barn so just shredded it up, added a little canning salt, put it in a food grade bucket, topped it off with just enough water to cover & weighted it down with a plate (with a full canning jar on top of it to push it down. We'll see what happens. I'm more than a little nervous after my last disaster trying to fix sauerkraut.....

p.s. Any recommendations for a GOOD DEPENDABLE food processor? Got an expensive Kitchenaid that is an absolute piece of crap... Has been finicky from the beginning & the last 3 times I've needed to use it, the darned thing won't even turn on. Hubby futzes & fiddles with it & pronounces it fixed. Until the next I need the darned thing & it won't start again. I'm DONE. It's outta here. But I've got to replace it with something because arthritis is not being kind to my aging joints.... (I ended up running the cabbage thru a salad shooter to get it shredded. Not ideal but hey, it worked!)

p.s.s. I just looked on ebay for grins & NOW they've got the mason jar lids with airlocks cheap enough for me to try. Ordered 4 of 'em. Course they'll get here too late for this batch but in case I ever try another one....

You don't have to have an airlock. But you should cover the bucket with something. If you have the lid just put it on loosely. Keep any mold or white slime skimmed off the top of the liquid. If the kraut is exposed to long and gets slimy scrape it off and discard. I did one batch with canning/pickling salt and it wasn't as good. I use sea salt and its much better. It has more nutrients in it that I think help the bacteria. The Food Processor may have a reset button underneath or if you don't have the little stick pookie spring thingy in the right position to go into the hole it won't work! Good Luck!